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Soul of a Banquet

Play trailer Poster for Soul of a Banquet Released Oct 21, 2014 1h 19m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 1 Reviews 33% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Director Wayne Wang (THE JOY LUCK CLUB) takes us into the world of Cecilia Chiang, the woman who introduced America to authentic Chinese food. Chiang opened her internationally renowned restaurant The Mandarin in 1961 in San Francisco and went on to change the course of cuisine in America. The film is equal parts a delectable showcase of gastronomy and a touching portrait of Chiang's journey from a childhood in Beijing before the Cultural Revolution to accidental restaurateur on the west coast of the United States. SOUL OF A BANQUET features interviews with Alice Waters, Ruth Reichl, and Cecilia Chiang herself.
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Soul of a Banquet

Critics Reviews

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Robert Roten Laramie Movie Scope The movie has a great banquet, and it does give you a sense of Chiang's personality and history, but it falls far short in the telling of Chiang's amazing story. Rated: C Feb 2, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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E I I really enjoyed the documentary. A great story and intriguing traditional Chinese dishes. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/16/24 Full Review Audience Member 1/19/15 Amazon Prime More interesting stories about China than about Chinese cooking. Not nearly as good as Jiro loves Sushi. Would have been much more interested in her Mandarin Restaurant and it's story and menu than a banquet for friends. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Soul of a Banquet

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Movie Info

Synopsis Director Wayne Wang (THE JOY LUCK CLUB) takes us into the world of Cecilia Chiang, the woman who introduced America to authentic Chinese food. Chiang opened her internationally renowned restaurant The Mandarin in 1961 in San Francisco and went on to change the course of cuisine in America. The film is equal parts a delectable showcase of gastronomy and a touching portrait of Chiang's journey from a childhood in Beijing before the Cultural Revolution to accidental restaurateur on the west coast of the United States. SOUL OF A BANQUET features interviews with Alice Waters, Ruth Reichl, and Cecilia Chiang herself.
Director
Wayne Wang
Producer
Jonathan Bing, Wayne Wang, Richard Wong
Distributor
Oscilloscope Laboratories
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 21, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 19, 2021
Runtime
1h 19m
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